Education Week calculated state-by-state grades in six areas of educational policy and performance. Overall, North Carolina scored a 78.3 out of 100 (C+), which was above the national average of 76.5 and ranked 17th highest in the nation. Among states in the South, Maryland, Arkansas, Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia, Florida, Texas, and Kentucky all ranked higher than North Carolina. Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Oklahoma also ranked higher than the national average.
I am not completely sold on the ranking. For example, North Carolina received near perfect scores on standards and school accountability measures. A closer look at the metrics reveal that the Education Week folks assess the grade- and subject-area coverage, not necessarily the quality, of state standards and accountability.
In addition, school finance measures are three years old. Surely, they can do better than spending data from the 2008-2009 school year.
